Blood group antigens A, B, H, Le super(a), Le super(b), and I(Ma) in resting and tetragastrin stimulated gastric juice of patients with non-neoplastic diseases of the stomach

• Published in: Journal of clinical pathology Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 320 - 326
• Main Authors: Picard, J K, Hotta, K, Fiezi, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.1985
• ISSN: 0021-9746

The aim has been to assess whether the antigenic profiles known to distinguish the gastric mucosae of secretors from those of non-secretors are reflected in the glycoproteins of gastric juice. Antigenic profiles which distinguish secretors from non-secretors were observed in the stimulated rather than the resting gastric juice as follows: the A, B or H antigens but not I(Ma) were strongly expressed in the glycoproteins of secretors, while I(Ma) was the antigen characteristic of non-secretors. Among these antigens I(Ma) is known to appear as a neo-antigen in the gastric mucosae of secretors with malignant and premalignant diseases of the stomach. Thus this antigenic determinant is potentially a clinically useful marker in the gastric juice of 75% of the population who are secretors. The clinical value of the levels of this antigen in the gastric juice now deserves investigation.